Billfold



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ISnnentor Gttorneg J. C. DAVIO June 9, 1942.

BI LLFOLD Filed March 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 il lk J. C. DAVIO June 9, 1942.

BILLFOLD Filed March 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZSnnentor JOSEPH G DfiV/O.

I if Unomeg Patented June 9, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BILLFOLD Joseph C. Davio, Agawam, Mass.

Application March 24, 1939, Serial No. 263,843

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in flexible pocket receptacles adapted to carry bills, cards, and the like, and commonly known a bill folds.

An object of my invention is to provide a bill fold having improved means to compensate for the variation in the relative movement between the inner and the outer walls of the bill receiving compartment, whereby, when the bill fold is doubled or otherwise folded upon itself to fit the pocket, it willfold to substantially flat, compact form, even when a considerable number of bills are contained in said compartment, without buckling or causing irregular folding of the material particularly with respect to the inner wall of the said compartment.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved bill fold having separate pockets, for cards and the like, and which can be made preferably from a single piece of flexible material that is folded and interlocked in folded relation, in an improved manner, and without stitching.

A further object of my invention is to provide such compensating means in a form which will readily permit the use thereof in bill folds of different styles and designs.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be more clearly understood from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view, in elevation, of a bill fold embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a flat plan view of a blank for said bill fold on a reduced scale.

Figure 4 is a top plan view on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical view in section on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating my improved bill fold when in folded position and containing a number of bills therein.

Figure 7 is a front view, in elevation, of a portion of my improved bill fold with parts broken away to show the construction thereof.

Figure 8 is a front plan view illustrating a different type of a bill fold embodying my invention.

Figure 9 is a flat plan view showing a portion of the blank illustrated in Figure 3, but with my invention applied thereto in a slightly modified form.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the billfold illustrated in Figure 8 showing the same in folded position.

In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated, my improved bill fold may be made up from a single piece of suitable sheet material 5, such as leather or the like, which is cut out in the form illustrated in Figure 3 and includes an outer wall section I0, and an inner wall section II. The said outer wall section is provided with flaps I2 having extensions I3 connected thereto by connecting portions I4 which form slots I5 and notches I6 and I1 between the said extensions and flaps.

The wall sections I0 and I I are disposed parallel to each other and spaced by intermediate sections I8, which are separated by an opening I9. Flaps extend into said opening from each of the sections I8. I

Each of the said sections I8 are also provided with an opening 2| which is pointed at the ends thereof, as at 22, to engage the edges of cards, which are disposed projecting through said opening, and prevent them from falling out of the bill fold.

The said sections I8 are also provided with tabs 23 that are cut through the material 5 and have extending ears 24 which adjoin openings 25 that receive the connecting portions I4.

If desired, a flap 26 may also be provided on the wall section III, although this is not considered necessary.

It will be noted that the central portion of the wall section I I is scored or otherwise provided with two parallel creases Ila, on the outer side thereof, and a similar crease IIb, on the inner side thereof, which will cause it to fold outwardly and form a bellows fold 21, as more clearly illustrated in Figure 6.

In folding the said billfold from a blank, as illustrated in Figure 3, the sections I8 are first folded onto the section I0, on the dotted line Illa. The flaps I2, are then folded on the lines Ho, and the extensions I3 are then inserted through the slits 29 which form the tabs 22, and into the position clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 7. The tabs 23 are then inserted through the slots I5 and said tabs are positioned in back of the connecting portions I4; thus the flaps I2 are interlocked, in the position illustrated in Figure 4, with the extensions I3 thereof flatly disposed betweenthe sections I8 and the wall section II.

The flaps 20, are then'folded under the ends of the extensions I3, as clearly shown in Figure 4, to form pockets 30 which open through the slots 2| and separate pockets 3| between the said extension and wall II.

The flap 26 is then folded inwardly to provide a finished edge for the outer wall section III.

It will be noted that when the bill fold has been folded and completed to the form illustrated in Figure 1, the center portion of the wall section II will have a tendency to flex outwardly from the bill compartment 32. on account of the creases Ila and lib provided by my invention.

It is commonly known that when a number of bills are to be contained in the pocket of a bill fold the inner wall of the bill compartment must be provided with means for taking up the variation in the length between the outer and inner walls when the bill fold is folded for inserting it in the pocket.

Heretofore, it has been customary to provide such means as a sliding inner wall for the bill compartment, or to provide various other arrangements, all of which have been found objectionable, particularly from the standpoint that they present considerable bulk to the bill fold when in folded position.

My invention permits the portion of the inner wall of the bill compartment, which is at the bend, to neatly fold outwardly and between the two sides of the bill fold, as clearly illustrated in Figure 6; thus permitting the said sides to come together in perfect alignment and without crowding or bulkiness at the bend of the bill fold. This will also permit orderly arrangement of the bills within the bill compartment and the papers in the pockets 30 and 3|, which will not be disturbed when the bill fold is folded.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 8, the bill fold shown is of a type which is folded into three sections. My invention may be applied to this type of a bill fold in the same manner as to the two section type of bill fold illustrated in Figure l of the drawings.

It will be noted, from Figure 10, that the bellows fold provided by my invention will fold outwardly from the bill compartment and adjust itself to the spacing between the side sections of the bill fold. Therefore, when my invention is used in a three section bill fold, as illustrated in Figure 10, one of the bellows folds will only partly fold outwardly from the bill compartment as clearly shown at 33.

In the modifications shown in Figure 9, the blank for the bill fold is cut away as at 34, and a separate piece 35 is preferably cemented to the wall section II or secured thereto by other suitable means. This will permit a finished appearance to the bellows fold" which would otherwise require a special operation due to the fact that the material of the blank is inverted, when the wall section H is folded over, and the unfinished side, such as common in leather, would show through between the intermediate sections I8.

It will also be noted, more clearly from Figure 7, that the ears 24, on the tabs 23, willrest in back of the connecting portions l4, thus securely interlocking the flaps I2 with the sections l8 and in position to cover the slits 29 so that a finished appearance is presented to the completed bill fold without the use of stitching or other means of securing the various sections together.

While I have described my invention in the embodiments illustrated, it is to be understood that the same may be used in various types of flexible containers, other than bill folds, without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a bill fold of the character described formed of a single piece of flexible material including an outer wall, an inner wall, supplemental sections adjacent to said inner wall, flaps on the said outer wall folded over the said inner wall and sections, extensions on said flaps extending through said sections disposed between said inner wall and sections and tabs on said sections engaging a portion connecting said flaps with said extensions and underlying said flaps.

. 2. A bill fold of the character described formed from a single piece,,of flexible material and comprising an outer wall, an inner wall, exteriorly disposed sections. adjacent to said inner wall, flaps on said outer wall folded over said inner wall and overlying said sections, extensions on said flaps disposed between said sections and inner wall, tabs on said sections engaging a portion connecting said flaps with said extensions and interlocking with the said extensions for retaining the said bill fold in formed position, and flaps on said sections underlying the ends of said extensions to form pockets in said bill fold between the said extensions and sections; said sections having openings providing access to said pockets.

3. A bill fold constructed from a blank comprising a piece of flexible material adapted to be folded to provide a compartment, locking means for retaining said blank in folded condition comprising a slit shaped to form a tongue and locking tabs extending from said tongue within the extremities of a portion of said blank, a flap on another portion of said blank adapted to be inserted through said slit and having a slit therein adapted to receive said tongue in position wherein the said locking tabs engage a portion of said flap adjacent to the ends of the slit therein and thereby lock the same against withdrawal from the first mentioned slit to retain said blank in folded position.

4. A bill fold of the character described formed from a blank of flexible material having portions adapted to be folded to form said bill fold; said blank having a slit in a portion thereof shaped to form a tongue with tabs extending laterally therefrom, a fiap on said blank having a slit therein and notches in the sides thereof; said fiap being adapted to be inserted into the first mentioned slit with said notches locked against a portion of said blank adjacent to said slit and the slit in said fiap being adapted to receive said tongue with the tabs therein in locked position against a portion of said flap adjacent to the slit therein.

5. A bill fold of the character described formed from a blank comprising an outer wall portion, an inner wall portion, an intermediate portion having an opening therein, flaps extending into said opening, said intermediate portion also having separate openings therein and slits forming tabs in said portion, ears extending from said tabs, fiaps extending from said outer wall portion, extensions on said fiaps connected thereto by means of connecting portions providing a slit between each of said extensions and flaps to receive the tabs in said intermediate portions, said extensions being disposable between said inner wall and intermediate portion and adapted to be secured to the first mentioned flaps to form pockets having entrances through openings in the intermediate portion, and creases on said inner wall portion for causing the same to fold towards one side thereof whereby when the said bill fold is completed from said blank, the said creases will render a portion of said inner wall foldable outwardly from said bill fold to permit adjustment of said inner wall upon the folding of said bill fold into two parallel sections.

6. A bill fold of the character described formed from a blank cut from a single piece of flexible material and comprising an outer wall, an inner wall having a portion adapted to be folded against the outer wall, and a plurality of transverse creases formed by score lines on said inner wall portion for causing an, intermediate portion thereof to fold outwardly upon the folding of said bill fold; said score lines including one at each side of said intermediate portion, on the outer surface thereof, and another score line on the inner surface of said portion facing the outer wall and centrally on said portion.

JOSEPH C. DAVIO. 

